Braves avoided potential disaster with recent free agent, which is ironic considering it was….
Eddie Rosario will be remembered in Atlanta forever because of his heroics during the Braves 2021 World Series run. It was the kind of performance fit for Hollywood, which is ironic considering it was the Dodgers’ dreams he ultimately crushed on his way to NLCS MVP.
That playoff run earned Rosario a two-year, $18 million contract with a $9 million option for 2024. After missing most of 2022 with an eye injury, which required surgery, Rosario bounced back with a more than solid 2023, hitting .255 with 21 homers in 142 games, good for 1.2 fWAR. That left the Braves with what many believed to be a difficult offseason decision.
Ultimately, Alex Anthopoulos decided against picking up Rosario’s $9 million option, letting him test free agency. The Braves would go on to replace him by acquiring Jarred Kelenic in a trade and signing Adam Duvall to a paltry one-year, $3 million contract. The decision was validated when Rosario was forced to settle for a $4 million split-contract with the Washington Nationals. However, it looks even better today.
Through 23 games for the Nationals, Rosario is slashing .086/.133/.157 with a -19 wRC+ (100 is considered league average). He’s accrued -1.0 fWAR over that stretch, which is an impressively abysmal feat over just 23 games.
Rosario’s done so much for the Braves organization, that I don’t think there’s a member of Braves Country rooting against him, even if he’s now on a division rival. With that being said, this is just another example of Alex Anthopoulos knowing when to buy low and sell high. His knack for avoiding these kind of mistakes is uncanny, one of the many reasons he’s viewed by many as the best general manager in the sport.
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Three relievers in Gwinnett could soon become major league contributors
Given the Braves lost Spencer Strider for the season after essentially just one start, the pitching staff has been far better than anybody could have expected. Every single pitcher in Atlanta’s current starting rotation has an ERA+ of 103 or better and the highest FIP among the group is 3.64. The bullpen has also been just as effective, with six of eight relievers boasting an ERA of 3.00 or less. Even without Strider, this one of the of the deepest staffs in the entire league, and it has the potential to get even better as the season progresses.
Prior to Opening Day, the Braves optioned a multitude of pitchers to Gwinnett that would have made 90% of MLB rosters. The most notable of the bunch was former star closer Ken Giles. The right-hander looked very promising during Spring Training. So much so, I thought he had a very good chance at making the Opening Day roster, but for roster purposes, it made more sense to start him in Gwinnett. Through nine appearances for the Stripers this season, Giles owns a 2.70 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 10 innings. He’s ready at a moment’s notice whenever the Braves need him.
Ray Kerr is another intriguing arm the Braves acquired this offseason. He’s had his fair share of issues with traffic on the basepaths, but the 29-year-old has some filthy stuff from the left side. For the Padres last season, he recorded an 11.7 K/9 over 22 appearances, and he has 22 strikeouts in just 14 innings this season for the Stripers. If Matzek and Aaron Bummer continue to struggle, Kerr could be next in line for an opportunity.
But perhaps the most exciting arm of them all is Daysbel Hernandez, who made his debut for the Braves last season and impressed. Again, this is a guy who would have been on the Opening Day roster for probably every other team across the league. He’s a strikeout maestro that is only 27-years-old. Hernandez could eventually become a staple of the Braves relief core, and he’s off to a fast start in Gwinnett, boasting a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 11 innings. By the end of the season, I would be surprised if Hernandez wasn’t in Atlanta to stay.
The Braves have had a lot of problems with their pitching depth in recent years. Alex Anthopoulos recognized that and overkilled the issue this past winter, acquiring a number of versatile weapons. The depth of this group is second to none, which is really going to help this team over the grueling summer months and into the fall.
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